I started watching Meet the Press when I was five years old. I

[Subdivisions]

was born a news hound and had an interest in politics very early in my youth, Sunday morning cartoons were shoved to the side in favor of MTP. Today, 40 years later, I sit here watching and I'm shaking my head in sadness and disgust. Today, MTP is no longer distinguished among its peers. It's just another outlet for the same old useless stuff seen every day on every other news outlet on teeV.

[WCGreen]

1. It's been that way for some time now...

Same old shouting and talking points...

[Moochy]

2. Is this an aspect of memory

or a truth about Meet The Press? While I agree with the general decline of journalism, might you be hearkening back to an idealized Meet The Press that never existed? Certainly if you examine the transcripts, Tim Russert was not some muckraker populist looking out for the everyman.... He let the politicians talk their talking points, despite all of endless Obituaries that sought to lionize him as they did at GE/NBC.

[Subdivisions]

4. Hi Moochy. What I didn't say in my OP is that

Tim Russert broke me of MTP. Having the chimp in office broke me of MTP. Maybe maturity and discernment also contributed. Indeed, I just happened to run across it as I was channel surfing and stopped for a taste. My rubber-necking lasted all of 3 minutes with that droll Hatch and whoever that little wingnut weasel was.

[Moochy]

7. Thanks for clarifying... I did not think Russerts career was worthy of the hagiography

and was a more than a little put off by the sheer volume of saintly praise of his shoddy talking-point enabling career.

The dramatic setting of his death on set was probably partially a symbolic wake-up call to journalists whose profession had already mostly died in the run up to the war in Iraq.

[dogtag]

6. Ah, Moochy, there was once a

real MTP. It was hosted by Lawrence Spivak and the guests were all print journalists who asked the questions. Honest to Pete, it really existed.....politicians met the press. Imagine that.

[Moochy]

8. I don't think I ever saw it hosted by Spivak

Thanks for mentioning him I'll look him up. I've just discovered over time that when we hearken back to a golden age, often it never was.

[monmouth]

11. You just re-awakened a fond memory. I was always good in history class

the next day...Thanks.

[PCIntern]

13. I was weaned on Spivak...

and I vaguely recall a lady who was a host...

Spivak was a nasty man...mean. But the quality of the journalists was first-rate. Of course, I was 7 or 8 years old...but "you could tell"...!

[liberal N proud]

3. All the Sunday morning shows have become nothing more than propaganda

They moderators work very hard to push their own agenda which usually matches the right wing talking points.

They bring on guest who will share their opinion and if they want they will bring in one opposition guest so the others can "eat them alive" so to speak.

Meet the Press, Face the Nation or This Week on ABC, they are all following the same script. Attack what ever the Democrats are trying to do for the American people.

[Subdivisions]

5. I used to watch them all. Can't stand three minutes of either one now. n/t

[Botany]

9. I watched part of CBS Sunday morning and the promo for FTN was ....

.... so over the top bad it made me scream.

Today we have on Lindsey Graham and Evan Bayh to discuss "Is Washington Broken?"

Graham the great blow job hunter of the 1990s & Bayh who after the democrats took
control of the Congress in 2006 his wife went from Butler University to go on the boards
of Wellpoint and Eli Lily among others. They are the people who have broken Washington
and they get to talk about how to fix it? Please.

[liberal N proud]

10. That one defines the modern purpose of these shows.

Brainwashing the American people coming from the people who broke it in the first place.

[Moochy]

12. Why else would you Own a Press for the People To Meet?

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. It began in 1947...

Original Moderator was Martha Rountree, then Ned Brooks, then alternating Lawrence Spivak, Bill Monroe & Edwin Newman...

[The River]

15. I Just Tried to Watch

the 2PM (est) re-run but the local indy station
was showing the 1985 classic "Morans from Outer Space".
I kept switching back and forth and couldn't tell the difference.